Iâm obviously embarrassed about my comments at the end of questions today. Iâve sent a message apologising and offered to speak to @JennyRathbone if she wishes to do so. It is an unwelcome distraction at a time of unprecedented challenge.

After the session, Mr Gething posted on Twitter: “I’m obviously embarrassed about my comments at the end of questions today.

“I’ve sent a message apologising and offered to speak to Jenny Rathbone if she wishes to do so.

“It is an unwelcome distraction at a time of unprecedented challenge.”

A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “The minister has contacted the member concerned to apologise.”

The Welsh Health Minister aggressively attacking his own party colleague who was raising legitimate concerns raised by a Welsh Nobel Prize winner shows why he is not the man for this vital job. To maintain public confidence he surely has to go.

Earlier, Mr Gething had faced criticism from Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who was standing in for Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Foreign Secretary said Mr Gething had “abandoned” the Welsh Government’s target of conducting 5,000 coronavirus tests per day.

Following the Zoom call, the leaders of opposition parties Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives called for Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford to sack Mr Gething immediately.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: “He does not have the right attitude, skills or temperament to lead the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“To maintain public confidence, the First Minister needs to relieve him of these responsibilities with immediate effect.”

Paul Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, tweeted: “Politicians are entitled to ask serious and challenging questions of ministers and it’s essential that they are able to do so during this pandemic.

“For a Health Minister to show such unprofessionalism and disdain at this time is completely unacceptable and he should be sacked.”